The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
Why skiing in Italy just got even more glamorous
A new premium flight from Stansted promises to make the quiet, charming resorts of the Dolomites more accessible. Leslie Woit checks in
From the drizzle-sodden tarmac on an Essex afternoon, we had a few moments to kill before takeoff. Flipping through the inflight magazine, it was a dreamscape of mountain wellness hotels and powder slopes. Then, there it was, in black and white, exclamation mark included. “The flight itself is a vacation!” Fighting words, from the president of three-year-old Bolzano-based SkyAlps, Josef Gostner. The Italian entrepreneur, a renewable energy magnate and licensed pilot, is behind the push to give British skiers a quicker way to reach the Dolomites, together with a premium-level flying experience.
The first SkyAlps winter service departed London Stansted for Bolzano on December 13 and promises to transform ski holidays in the underrated region, with more personal service, fewer passengers and a destination airport just 40 minutes from piste and passeggiata.
When it comes to creating that private-plane feeling, little luxuries count. We were off to a good start with a queue-free check-in. Here, I also tackled another hurdle of the skiing traveller: bulky luggage. Even though this was a three-day trip, my bag weighed 16.5kg, more than the 15kg allowance. No one batted an eyelid. “We aren’t a budget airline, so we try to be helpful,” said SkyAlps representative Daniela Lintner as she handed over my boarding pass with a smile.
Settling in was painless. The seats are configured two-by-two, curing the dreaded middle-seat scenario. Fewer than two dozen passengers meant around 60 empty seats and loads of overhead space. Among us were a few Italians heading home and a young London-based professional meeting her family for a ski holiday. In the absence of any entertainment system or Wi-Fi, my 16A portside seat had a rather thrilling view of the wing’s underside and one of the plane’s two six-blade propellers.
A convincing thrum filled the cabin as the twin engines powered up for an on-time 16.05 departure. The Canadian-manufactured Dash DHC-8 Q400 is meant to be one of the quieter turboprop aircraft in the skies. The Q may stand for “quiet”, but the power-charged takeoff has a decidedly higher frisson factor than your run-ofthe-mill jet. By the time we levelled out at 25,000 feet, it was approaching five o’clock and, on our inflight holiday-in-a-holiday, all thoughts turned to après ski in the sky.
Rather than asking for payment for the usual tepid refreshment, the friendly attendant handed me a printed wine menu. It was a no-plonk zone: very quaffable South Tyrolean wines were served with gusto – two whites, one red and a bubbly.
The snacks were local, too, from a region famous for high-quality cuisine born of Italian flare. We grazed on Loacker biscuits, full-fat yoghurt and fennel-flavoured Schüttelbrot (a crunchy regional bread). Drinks and nibbles are complimentary, and they came round more than once.
Let’s now consider value. This is not a low-cost airline – a one-way fare starts at €184 (£159) – but it’s no Gulfstream, either. Despite there being only one loo and seats that don’t recline, when it to delivering a great brushstroke of luxury, the arrival moment alone might be worth the investment.
Enter, the practically private terminal. After 2hr 30 mins in the air, alighting at Aeroporto di Bolzano felt stylish and comfortable – unlike the usual human-processing-plant vibe. Apart from a small number of SkyAlps flights, the only others operating here are “general aviation”, better known as the occasional Zurich banker zipping in on his private plane. After a quick passport check, I was out the door – totally missing the luggage carousel that was already rotating with our things. A nice man delivered them moments later.
All this premium living sets one up neatly for the main event. Touchdown plus a 40-minute drive takes you to the resort of Val Gardena, then a host of choices after that. It is Selva first, then Alpe di Siusi, Kronplatz and Corvara, where I was enjoying aperitivo in the traditional Hotel Sassongher 90 minutes after landing.
Each of these pretty villages is part of the 1,200km of connected Dolomiti Superski skiing – a tangle of smooth white slopes which, if stretched, could run the length of the country itself. But that is only half the story. These crowdcame free boltholes – also including La Villa, San Cassiano and Colfosco to collectively form the Alta Badia region – are home to a gastro-ski-getaway of Romanesque proportions.
As part of the resort-wide A Taste for Skiing dining initiative, eight mountain establishments offer a gourmet dish created by a different Italian Michelin-starred chef. Dishes cost from €21 (£18) – like the mushroom and sausage cappuccino soup I enjoyed at Ütia Bioch.
Blink and you’ll miss Col Alto, tucked beneath the top gondola station and overlooking a medley of Dolomite peaks. Order a deluxe sample of starters featuring trout tartare, speck and foie gras, served with heaving baskets of bread. My luscious last lunch was capped by a final run home, winging and floating beneath the pink lustre of the setting Dolomite sun. The vacation is in the flight, after all.
SkyAlps (skyalps.com) operates twice-weekly flights between London and Bolzano from €184 (£159) each way. Hotel Sassongher (sassongher.it) offers rooms from €300 (£259) per night, half board, based on two sharing. For further information on Alta Badia, visit altabadia.org.